Video from ESPN showed Schauffele taking the ball out of the bag after his tee shot on the par-5 eighth hole ended up there. He used a tee to mark the spot, removed the ball, and handed the bag to a woman in a pink and white outfit. Schauffele was able to play on without penalty and made par on the eighth hole. According to The Independent - Main, an ESPN analyst described the incident as unprecedented. It remains unclear what specific rule or decision allowed Schauffele to play the ball from the bag without penalty, or who the spectator was and their reaction.
Schauffele finished the front nine in 1 under par. On the par-4 ninth hole, his tee shot ended up in pine straw, and his second shot found a bunker, but he splashed out from the bunker to within inches of the hole. Whether Schauffele faced any other unusual incidents or rulings during his round beyond the bag and ninth-hole shots is unknown.
That's a first for me.
The Masters tournament kicked off on Thursday with Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson hitting ceremonial opening drives at 7:25 a.m. These golf legends have 11 green jackets between them, and only Nicklaus among them has successfully defended his Masters title.
Rory McIlroy is looking to join Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Sir Nick Faldo as players who have won back-to-back Masters titles. He could also equal Sir Nick Faldo's record of six major championships. The final scores and positions of Schauffele and McIlroy in the tournament after this round have not been confirmed, and it is unknown how common such incidents are at the Masters or in professional golf tournaments.